


Unclaimed Sub

by professional_benaddict, Teddy1008



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternative Universe - D/S, Blood and Injury, Crying, Dom Bucky Barnes, Dom Natasha Romanov, Dom Steve Rogers, Dom Tony Stark, Dom/sub, Head Injury, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sub Peter Parker, Whump, dom/sub dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:22:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddy1008/pseuds/Teddy1008
Summary: Unclaimed subs end up in government run institutions. Everyone knows that. So far, Peter has managed to avoid getting in trouble for being an unclaimed sub. However, one fateful night, he ends up in the hands of hospital staff who cannot let him go without a Dom’s signature.Should Doctor Stark call the D/s department about Peter, or should he claim the sub for himself?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 24
Kudos: 176





	1. Part 1: In the Controlling Hands of Doms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter ends up in a tricky situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi hi!! Jae and I are at it again :3 and this time a D/s verse!! We hope you guys are as pumped as we are ;))  
> so far we have just two parts, but we are definitely writing more in the future hehe...
> 
> \- Rafni

“Let me go! You jerk!”

Screeches filled the space of the ER from the moment they stepped out of the ambulance. Peter was pretty sure that people were staring—was he kidding; of course they were staring—but he did not pay them any attention. What he was paying attention to were the hands on his arms, gently but firmly guiding him. The two Dom paramedics, who were apparently called Steve and Bucky, had attempted to speak gently to him in the ambulance, but had slowly given up when all Peter did was glower. 

“I said I'm fine! Jesus!” Peter tried to tear away from Steve, but he had drunk just a little too much that night, and was thus unsuccessful in pulling away. Hell, he probably would not be walking straight if it was not for the two paramedics holding him up. 

“Stop throwing a tantrum.” Bucky scolded, which only incensed Peter further. 

“I am not throwing a tantrum!” Peter roared, immediately contradicting himself, receiving an irritated sigh from Steve. 

“And this is why unclaimed subs should never go drinking by themselves.” Steve commented dryly, but Peter was pretty sure he was talking to Bucky, not him. 

They led him into the ER, still struggling to get him inside without losing an eye, but eventually, they managed, much to Peter's dissatisfaction. He made his feelings rather clear right then and there. 

“I will report you both after this is over.” Peter raged without any real heat behind his threat, because he knew there was not really anything he could do. “Take me to a doctor and I'll bite their hand off!”

The drunk sub’s protests echoed and bounced off of the plain white walls of the ER, only causing the people waiting there more discomfort and annoyance. It was bad enough having ended up in the ER, or waiting to be taken in, but now there was a drunk sub causing havoc. 

By the nurse’s station, Tony looked up from the chart he was almost done signing. He had been called here to meet a patient coming by ambulance. Now, the doctor regretted greatly being so kind as to offer his services. 

“Is that the one?” Tony asked Natasha, the head nurse of the ER where she sat by the nurses’ station, or better known as the Control Tower. The red-head nurse nodded back, and did not offer even a sympathetic smile to Tony. 

“Go ahead. He’s unclaimed even.” Natasha snickered a bit, and Tony sighed heavily before going to meet with Bucky and Steve.

Peter looked up when he saw male Dom approaching, and scowled. He gave the man an unimpressed look up and down, taking in his appearance. He was dressed in dark blue scrubs and a lab coat, giving him the classic doctor look. AKA Peter's next victim. 

“Are you the one who I'll be biting? Sir?” Peter snarked, putting far more emphasis on the honorific than necessary and eliciting a huff of either laughter or annoyance from Steve.

Tony scanned his next patient from head to toe quickly. 

The young man, who was clearly a sub, had had quite the eventful night so far. His shirt collar was torn, and his leather jacket was dusty at his sleeves and elbows. His jeans had been ripped on one knee, and quite recently. However, the most notable thing on him was the blood running down the side of his face, and the bandage covering his head injury. However, that injury only seemed to power the young sub even more and fuel his hunger to continue enjoying the nightlife in the big city. The sub had definitely brought the party to the ER, although to everyone’s disapproval. 

“Why isn’t he on the gurney?” Tony asked, watching unamused as Peter hiccuped with such force that he lost his balance. However, the two paramedics holding him up kept him upright. 

“We got him on, but then he just got up and refused to lay down.” Bucky explained, looking a bit embarrassed.

Peter heard the doctor snort at Bucky's response and felt a flash of triumph. A childish but small victory, refusing to lie down. 

“I told you why.” Peter said to Bucky, earning him an unimpressed look. “I—“ He paused to cough, then continued. “It's uncomfortable. You should make them better. Good enough to fall asleep in.” Glancing at Tony again, he added. “Sir.” He uttered the title with the same amount of disrespect as before that did nothing but contradict the honorific.

“Oh, you’ll be sleeping. Come, I’ll show you.” Tony invited, gesturing down the hall. Not waiting for the sub to agree, Steve and Bucky lifted Peter up under his arms, like police officers would to a criminal. Luckily, Peter did not have the coordination to put up a fight, but he kept running his mouth as they went to the nearest free exam room. 

“So, what’s the story?” Tony started and opened the door for the paramedics.

Peter was set down on the bed, where he promptly flopped over onto his back with a groan. Much better than the stiff stretcher they had tried to put him in before. Bucky snorted, watching the unruly sub, then answered Tony’s question. 

“Well, apparently he went to a club for a fun Friday night. Too much fun.” Rolling his eyes, Bucky continued. “Started to have too much to drink, to the point where he picked a fight with two other subs, much bigger than him; this one’s practically a kid—”

“I am not a kid!” Peter spluttered. Bucky ignored him and continued recapping for the doctor. 

“Fight happened. He got beat up. Thrown at the bar, hit his head pretty bad on the countertop and got a nasty laceration from that.” 

“The bartender is also in trouble.” Steve added. “She admitted to serving an unclaimed sub for the money.”

“You really should have become a cop instead, Rogers.” Tony commented as he removed his lab coat. He had a feeling this patient would be a tough one. “And did you get to do any assessments at all? Vitals?”

“Heart rate 95, BP 86/122. Temp’s normal, pupils equal and reactive. No signs of any concussions, but the alcohol could have something to do with that. We gave him 5 mg of morphine. He’s lost a bit of blood, but that hasn’t affected his spirits,” Bucky listed. 

“And ID?” Tony asked, getting gloved while eyeing Peter. The sub flipped the bird at him in return. 

“Peter Parker, age 23. Sub, obviously, and unclaimed. The doctor in charge alerts the D/s department, right?” Bucky asked, handing Tony the clipboard with their assessments of Peter’s health status.

Peter scowled, though he felt a flash of trepidation at the gloves. The doctor’s office had never been his favourite place to be. Also probably the reason why his last regular checkup had been six years ago.

“Don't alert them!” Peter huffed, his heart rate beginning to pick up at Bucky's words. “I told you, I'm fine. There's really no need.”

Everyone knew what happened to unclaimed subs. They were sent to an institution, which was utter crap, no matter how much they tried to hide it. Peter would rather sell his firstborn than go someplace like a government run institution for submissives.

“Let’s just worry about your head first.” Tony compromised, looking between the two paramedics and Peter. “I got it from here, thank you. Can you ask Nat to come by when she gets a minute?” The doctor added to Steve and Bucky. It was a clear suggestion for them to leave, since their presence only seemed to agitate Peter further. 

“Sure.” Steve replied, a bit stiffly. “Alert the department as soon as possible. He really caused a mess out there, so it’s best he not be let out again. On his own, that is.”  
With that, the two paramedics left the exam room, leaving Tony and Peter in an awkward silence.

Peter scowled after the paramedics, flipping Steve off behind his back. 

“What an asshole. Superiority complexes, I swear.” Peter muttered under his breath. He turned to Tony, giving him a wary look now that they were alone. “Well? Aren't you gonna call the department like he told you to?”

Tony took the opportunity to examine the laceration on Peter’s scalp, and bought himself some time to consider the sub’s question. It was more like a dare, and Tony was unsure what to do. 

“You have quite the gash. Two and a half centimeters or so. I can get to it without shaving your hair.” Tony said after examining the wound. It was not very deep, but scalp injuries always bleed a ridiculous amount. “Are you allergic to any drugs?”

Peter blanched at the prospect of shaving his hair and was relieved to find that he did not have to. He shook his head at the question. 

“No. Not that I know of.” Peter knew the man had not answered his question yet, but he let it go. If anything, maybe it would work out in his favour, if the doctor forgot. “What's your name anyways?” 

“I’m Tony Stark. I work here in the ER sometimes.” Tony replied shortly, dabbing the wound a bit with some cotton pads before picking up the local anaesthetic. “Slight pinch now…” He warned, and right on cue, Peter yelped where he lay. “Try to be still, please.”

“You tell me to be still, but then you go ahead and hurt me.” Peter complained half-heartedly. He watched the man for a few moments before speaking again. “You're a Dom, then. Right? Lucky you. Life must be a breeze.”

When Tony injected Peter a second time from a different angle, he did not react as strongly now. Instead of being occupied with the sting and pressure of the anaesthetic in his already throbbing wound, Peter seemed to have picked a new fight. Although, his tone seemed different compared to how he spoke to Steve and Bucky. It seemed more sad, and lonely. 

“Doms have their privileges, yes. But, we also have our struggles and responsibilities.” Tony pointed out, dabbing the wound now that he was done with the anaesthetic. “I’m sure you have your own as a sub as well.”

“Yeah, well. We don’t have the privileges that you do.” Peter watched the Dom’s actions carefully, but also with some interest. “I can go home after you patch me up, right?”

“Don’t count on it. You don’t show any signs of a concussion, but I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.” Tony said, cleaning the wound with iodine thoroughly. Even though the sub was numbed, Tony could feel Peter watching his every move. “Where do you stay?”

“Um. At my house. In Queens.” Peter eyed him warily. He could never be too sure with specific details, especially not after the D/s department might be alerted. “You can just figure that out by looking at my file or something, can’t you?”

“Just making small talk.” Tony excused, picking up the needle and thread with a forceps and some tweezers. “Did you cause this mess yourself? Or did someone hurt you? And if that someone was a Dom, then I can assure you they will suffer the consequences. That’s one of the privileges you have as a sub, mind you.”

The question barely registered in Peter's mind at the sight of the needle, because that monstrosity took priority over small talk. 

“Whoa, whoa!” Peter tried to move away, heart beating significantly faster. If there was one thing that Peter hated more than anything else, it was needles. “Can we, um, not use that?” He eyed the needle warily, body still tensed and coiled, ready to spring away at any moment.

At Peter’s outburst, the doctor held the needle up where he held it between the jaws of the forceps. It was slim and small, and not something Tony thought much over, but Peter clearly thought otherwise. 

“It’s this, or skin glue. But, with your uneven gash, the glue won’t make it look any good. You’re all numbed up, so you won’t feel it.” Tony tried to explain, but Peter shook his head.

“No.” Peter stated. “I wouldn't do it even if you gave me a lollipop.” He gave Tony a nasty glower, then yelped when Tony moved closer to him. “Fuck! I said no!”

Limbs flailing everywhere, Peter thrashed as he tried to get away, nearly falling off of the bed as he accidentally smacked the needle away in his panic. The forceps and tweezers went flying to the floor, and clattered softly on the linoleum floor. Tony was not that upset over his instruments becoming contaminated and useless, but he was upset over seeing Peter behave so poorly. With his gloved hands, the doctor grasped the sub’s wrists, and placed them down on the floor. 

“Peter, Peter. Eyes here, listen to me.” Tony spoke calmly, but with all the authority of a respectable Dom in his voice.

Still trembling with panic, Peter tried to pull away, but then quickly gave up at Tony's firm grip. 

“What?” The sub practically spat out. “You're not—you're not bringing that thing close to me, Sir. Fuck you.”  
“I am, and I will, because I speak with both educated knowledge and experience within medicine, and I know stitches are your best option. I know you’re scared, but this is no way to behave for a sub.” Tony said without any hesitation behind his words. He meant all of it. “Now, you have two options. Lay still and let me help you, or I get colleagues to help me sedate you and I will finish the job without you running your mouth. So, what’s it gonna be?”

Peter dropped his head, feeling the back of his eyes burn with frustrated tears. 

“I hate you. I hate all of you.” Peter said through gritted teeth, although there was no real heat behind the words, only defeat. He sat back and pulled his wrists out of Tony's grip. “I'll sit still, but I don't like this.” With that, he turned his head, now refusing to even look at Tony.

“That’s all right. I’ll just get gloved again and get new instruments.” Tony said, but got no response from Peter now. 

The doctor debated on whether he had done the right thing, pulling such a powerful Dom move on a hurt and frightened sub. But, at least he would be still now. With new instruments and sterile gloves, Tony got back to work and began stitching Peter’s scalp back into one piece. On the third stitch, the door opened and a red-head nurse entered. None other than Natasha, the head nurse. 

“Hi, sweetheart. Are you Peter?” Natasha asked, coming up to Peter’s side with a caring smile. Peter gave the Dom nurse a subdued, though still wary, look. 

“Yes.” The sub responded, rubbing his eyes to quickly wipe off his wet eyelashes. “Are you here to poke me more, or are you here to stop him?” He tilted his head in Tony's direction, then froze when he realised he probably should not be moving his head.

“Oh, I think Doctor Stark knows what he is doing. Isn’t he treating you well, though? He can be a bit tough at times.” Natasha teased and shot Tony a look. “But, I do have to poke you. I need some blood from you so that we can check that everything is in tip-top shape. Do you want some numbing cream, handsome?”

Peter's mouth went dry again at the mention of needles and he shot both Natasha and Tony a panicked look, though Tony's bordered on mildly betrayed. The doctor had not told him there would be more.

“More needles?” The sub asked numbly. “I—why do you need my blood? I thought I was just supposed to get these stitches? Besides, can't I like, faint or something if you take away too much blood? I've already lost so much, and I'm dehydrated from the drinks I had—“ He stopped abruptly, flushing, because everyone, including him, knew that unclaimed subs who drank generally screamed trouble.

“Oh, I won’t take that much, promise.” Natasha assured, patting Peter’s shoulder. Even if Tony had an unamused look on his face, like any Dom would when faced with such a lawless sub, Natasha did not panic. She had plenty of sympathy for the frightened subs, claimed and unclaimed. “I’ll give you some numbing cream, yeah? You have some nice veins there. This will be as easy as anything.” The nurse smiled, applying a generous amount of numbing cream on the crook of Peter’s elbow.

“Okay.” Peter tried to force himself to relax, watching the nurse’s every movement carefully. She was far more compassionate than Tony, Peter thought dryly. He wondered what the doctor was doing. Did stitches always take so long? Would he have a scar after he was done? However, Peter did not ponder long before his attention was drawn to the needle in Natasha’s hand. Peter inhaled sharply and squeezed his eyes shut to prepare himself.

“Good boy. What do you do these days? Do you study?” Natasha asked, her tone light and friendly as she gently pushed the needle under Peter’s skin. However, the boy did not notice much, but that was also thanks to Natasha’s skills. 

Tony looked down briefly from what he was doing to see Peter’s face as he answered the question.

“Y-Yeah. Engineering stuff at MIT.” Peter responded, keeping his eyes shut. “But, um, besides studying, exams have been stressing me out lately so I’ll...” He paused, blushing, then continued. “I’ll just head for a party or club to get myself relaxed, I guess.” Which was exactly why he had gotten into this mess in the first place. He could practically taste Tony’s disapproval, and he was pretty sure he knew what the Dom wanted to say: if you weren’t unclaimed, you’d have better strategies for handling your stress.

That was what all Doms thought, was it not?

“And is that where you ended up hurt?” Natasha guessed, and Peter hummed in agreement. “I’m sorry to hear that. Clubs can be a scary place, even if you are a goody-two-shoes.” The nurse added with a light chuckle, and quickly finished up with the blood draw. Meanwhile, Tony tied off the last stitch, and dabbed the wound clean once more before starting to bandage it. 

“Is there someone I can call for you, Peter?” Natasha asked, her hand on Peter’s shoulder again. 

Tony could not help but wonder why on Earth Natasha was being so kind to his unruly sub. There was only one place to call, and that was the D/s department. 

“No.” Peter responded tightly, shaking his head. “I’m good, thanks. I can’t go home, can I?” Shooting Tony a glance, he admitted. “He said I can’t, but...” He trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Natasha gave him a sympathetic look, and that told him all he needed to know. Hanging his head, he asked. “I’m not being shipped off to an institution right away, am I?”

“You’ll have to discuss that with the doctor in charge of your case.” Natasha said, looking at Tony who snapped his gloves off after bandaging Peter’s head. 

“And that would be me.” Tony admitted, giving Peter a quick half smile, then turned to Natasha. “Thanks, Nat. Can you page me when the blood work comes back? And get him to a room for observation overnight.” The nurse nodded her head, and waved goodbye to Peter before leaving the room. “Do you have any questions?” Tony asked Peter simply.

“Yes." Peter stared at Tony, pleadingly this time. “She said you're in charge. So… When are they coming for me? The department.” God, please do not let it be now.

“We’ll see.” Tony said, trying not to show too much of his own uncertainty around the dilemma. “You’ll stay overnight, and in the morning we’ll see what we’ll do with you. All right?” Tony did not actually give Peter any room to protest, and made his way to the door. “Try to get some rest, Peter. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” 

And with that, the doctor left.

Peter stared after him almost mournfully. He was left alone in the room, which was already driving him crazy with the white walls and silence. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, frightened of the vague answer that the Dom doctor had given him. 

Whatever happened, he was not going to let himself be handed over to the department. He had have to find another way out of this whole situation, because at the end of the day, anything would be better than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you think of the verse? Jae and I had such a blast making up all the laws and norms and see Peter struggle with them >:3   
> The follow up will be posted this Friday!


	2. Part 2: In the Caring Hands of Doms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tries to figure out what to do with Peter.

The next morning, Tony went to find Natasha.

The nurse had offered some interesting perspectives on subs’s struggles in a society ruled by Doms, considering she was a Dom herself. She was quite the contrast to Steve and Bucky, who were conservative Doms and had their own understanding of how subs should be treated. Tony was not sure where he stood on the matter. And he was in a hurry to find it out.

When Tony entered the ER, Natasha looked up at him curiously from the nurses’ station. It was not often that the doctor looked so frazzled and unsure of himself, which meant that there was something bothering him. 

“Tony. What can I help you with?” 

“Do I look that lost?” Tony chuckled, then shook his head as he tried to gather his thoughts. “It’s about that sub boy who was brought in last night. I- you were kind to him- or at least it seemed like that to me. But- you are a Dom, right...?” The doctor tried.

Natasha hid a smile and gave a nod. 

“Mhm.” Natasha hummed. “I don't see why I wouldn't have treated him nicely, Tony. A person's designation doesn't determine whether or not they can be treated like human beings.” 

“I mean—of course. The oath and everything, but we also have a responsibility, don’t we? The doctor on the case has to alert the D/s department about unclaimed subs, and it’s not without reason. On a biological level, subs have underdeveloped brains and need Dom guidance. Can we afford to be soft with unclaimed subs if that means they go around hurting themselves?”

“Of course not.” Natasha agreed. “But, we also have to keep in mind that sometimes...” She grimaced. “Sometimes the D/s department isn’t the best choice for some subs. Especially the more sensitive ones. You know how those institutions are.” She let out a soft sigh. “If I had a say, I would never let anyone put a sub in there. Maybe I’d adopt them all.” She joked.

“You’d be good to them.” Tony chuckled. “Too good maybe. But, I have to alert the department. Otherwise, he’ll never be discharged since we need a Dom signature. No matter how sensitive this boy might be. Besides, I don’t think he is that sensitive. He goes out partying and clubbing, apparently. It’s how he ended up here in the first place.”

“You might want to think about why he does that in the first place.” Natasha replied dryly. “Now shoo, let me do my work and you do yours. You have a department to alert, don’t you?”

“So... you do agree that I have to do it?” Tony asked, but all he got in reply was another ‘shoo’ from the nurse, so he decided to run off. 

Thanks to his discussion with Natasha, Tony was running a bit late on his rounds. The doctor picked himself back up, and focused on the task at hand as he started on his first patient of the day. Third on the list, was none other than Peter Parker. Tony did not know if he was looking forward to that encounter or not.

———

After an hour or so of waiting in the ER the night before, Peter had been brought to a private room for observation. He had a few monitors on him, so he could not get out of bed without help from a nurse. Peter could not help but think that it was a measure to control him, to stop him from running away. Apparently, the monitors would sound an alarm if they were removed incorrectly. Peter hated the idea, but he still managed to sleep a bit during the night. 

Some time after Peter had been brought breakfast and been checked over by a nurse, the doctor from the ER showed up again. Peter could not help but tense at seeing the Dom again.

“You here to give me a check up?” The sub asked lightly, but the way he shifted in his bed showed his wariness.

“Good morning.” Tony started, giving his patient a light smile as he entered the room. “And yes, I’m doing rounds and checking on all of my patients. See how they are doing and such.” He added, reaching out for the chart at the bottom of Peter’s bed. “So, how was the night?”

“Good.” Peter watched the doctor’s movements for a few moments. “Am I getting released soon? Can I go home?” He was hoping the doctor had forgotten about the department, even as he knew that that was impossible to wish for.

“Medically, you’re good to go. Your vitals are normal, blood work is all good, now that the alcohol is out of your system... And you still have not shown any concussion symptoms.” Tony summarised after reading through Peter’s chart, then closed it. “Now, it’s just the formalities left. A Dom’s signature to get you out of here.”

Peter grimaced. 

“Right…” He muttered. “I don't suppose you could just forge it for me, huh?”

“And be the Dom responsible for you 24/7?” Tony scoffed, brushing aside the idea completely. “I can’t.” The doctor shook his head. “I have to call the department, and see what they have to say. You do know what your title as a sub entails? These laws are made to protect you. There’s no shame in needing Dom support and guidance.”

“Well, have you ever thought about the fact that maybe we don't something like that?” Peter snapped, temper flaring up. “Besides, what would be so bad about taking me in like that? I won't be trouble.” He grimaced, realising that his very existence in the hospital screamed trouble, but hey, it was a one-time thing!

“Right...” Tony drawled out, not convinced at all. “Just in the latest 24 hours, you’ve drunk yourself stupid and reckless, fought against two Dom paramedics trying to help you, and now you tell me you won’t be any trouble? If any sub needs Dom guidance, it’s you, Peter.”

“Sorry, but maybe you've forgotten that those two paramedics are absolute assholes.”Peter huffed. “And fuck off. You don't even understand how it feels.” He ran a hand agitatedly over his face and added. “You think I need guidance, right? That's why I'm asking you to just sign the form and look over me, or something like that. I mean, you can just like, keep me locked up in a room or something. Not—not for like, you know, extended periods of time or anything, but... I dunno, just think of me as a pet. You like dogs?” 

“If you don’t mind being locked up in my apartment like a dog, then you won’t mind the department’s institutions.” Tony deadpanned, patting Peter’s shin in a fatherly gesture. The doctor saw immediately that Peter hated the idea, although he did not voice it. 

“I’ll let you know what they say.” Tony said, then set down Peter’s chart to leave the room.

Peter watched the Dom leave, then muttered a handful of insults under his breath.

———

Even when lunchtime eventually got around, Tony was still thinking wildly about what to do with Peter. He had not had time to call the department yet, since he had been running back and forth between patients and unexpected codes. But, now he finally had at least 20 minutes to eat. 

In the cafeteria, Tony found Natasha and Steve sat at a table together, so he went to join them. 

“Hey, where’s your other half?” Tony asked, nudging Steve’s broad shoulder while sitting down. Steve snorted at that. 

“Buck insisted on tidying up some papers before coming to eat. I swear, he's more of a workaholic than me.” The blonde Dom rolled his eyes, but none of them missed the fondness in his tone. 

Natasha turned to Tony, smiling as though she already knew the answer to her question. 

“You figure out what to do with your little trouble case yet?” 

Before Tony could answer, Steve interrupted him. 

“You still haven’t called the department about that unclaimed sub? Every minute he spends alone makes him just worse!”  
Natasha rolled her eyes at the Steve’s words, though there was no real malice behind it. 

“Oh, please. He's just a bit lost. Besides, I'm sure he can't help his temper when you conservative Doms keep treating him like he's a newborn baby.” Then, she turned to Tony, raising her eyebrows expectantly. “Still haven't answered my question.”

“Conservative...” Steve scoffed, grumbling something before shoving half a sandwich in his mouth. 

“I think I have to call. Perhaps I can ask the department to send him to a facility that suits him, you know? They can’t all be the exact same.”

Natasha gave him a look that told him that he knew better, but kept her mouth shut, just pursing her lips. 

Steve, on the other hand, nodded. 

“Probably a good idea. Not just for his sake, but for yours too. You have to comply with the law.” He told Tony, picking up his wrappers from his lunch to throw them out. “Just watch, give that sub an inch and he'll take a mile. Probably try some stupid crap like running away. He probably can’t help it, after all these years without Dom guidance.” 

“He wouldn’t do that.” Tony said, shaking his head. “As much as I want to just send him out of here, I can’t do it without a Dom signature.” He said to Natasha, sounding a bit apologetic. “He’ll be safest at an institution. I hope…”

———

So, Peter was running away. 

He had decided that there was no way that the doctor was about to take him in and give his own signature, which meant there was only one other outcome: a department institution. And that was not going to happen. 

Peter was glad he did not have a concussion, because that would have made things significantly harder for him. His scalp ached and itched a bit, but other than that he was mostly his normal self. It felt weird sneaking out of a hospital. One more thing to check off of his bucket list, he supposed. 

Peter did not know his way around the hospital, which quickly proved to be a big problem. He was pretty sure he was going in circles in the hallways and he turned to head back to the elevator when he smacked right into a firm, large body—Bucky.

“Oh—sorry. Shit! Are you o—” Bucky started, however when he took a step back to see who he had bumped into, his eyes narrowed. “You... Have you been discharged? Has a Dom signed for you?” The paramedic asked. Although he was out of his uniform and dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, he still looked intimidating and very much in charge. A typical Dom, probably conservative Dom views as well. Out of all people, this was the last one Peter wanted to run into.

“Um- yes.” Peter said dumbly, eyes wide, then cursed himself immediately. He sucked at lying. He jabbed a thumb behind him and stammered. “I'm gonna go now. I think I forgot something in my room—“ 

“You, come with me.” Bucky stated, leaving no room for the sub to argue. He grabbed Peter up his upper arm, and led him away from the elevator and to the closest nurses’ station. “How is it that you continue to make the worst decisions possible? What kind of Dom will want you if you continue like this, huh? Have some self respect.”

Peter scowled at his words. 

“Clearly you have too much of it.” The sub snapped, trying to pull his arm out of Bucky's grasp. “And you know what really is a shitty decision? Sending me to the department!” 

They were back in Peter's room in no time, and Peter was mildly chagrined to find that Tony was there too, along with the other blond paramedic. Great. Now he would be getting another lecture.

“Oh, great! I was just about to have the hospital go on lockdown. But, there you are. Thanks, Barnes.” Tony nodded towards Bucky in thank you as the dark haired paramedic handed over the sub. “I got him from here.” The doctor said, and so the paramedic duo headed out to leave. But, before Steve left, he turned to Peter. 

“You should be ashamed of yourself. Go make yourself claimed, and start behaving like a proper sub.”

Peter stared after Steve with a pained look on his face. He was quiet until they left, then turned to face Tony. To his utter and complete shame, Peter felt tears begin to sting at the back of his eyes and he had to rapidly blink to try and chase them away. 

“Please don't send me away.” The sub practically begged wetly, voice quivering. “I can't—I don’t—I just want—“ He broke off, finally melting into sobs that wracked his entire body.

A sharp stab of guilt made Tony pause for a bit as he watched Peter quickly give into his sobs. All this time, Peter had actively fought against the Doms at the hospital taking care of him, sometimes even physically. But, this was a frightened sub, and that triggered something new in Tony. A strong need to shield and protect a vulnerable sub.

“Please.” Peter kept crying, and out of pure instinct and need, gravitated towards Tony to try and burrow into his arms. He had never felt it so strong before, but he needed the warm embrace and comfort of a Dom now.

“I—” Tony started, but no words came out. His Dom instincts were kicking in, and so half voluntarily, he placed a hand on the back of Peter’s head and guided his forehead to his chest. “You’ll be alright.” The doctor said, although he was not sure he could promise that.

“Please, sir…” Peter begged, trembling. “Is there—I-I know I said it jokingly earlier, but—is there no way you can just… sign for me? P-Please.” He did not know what he was going to do if he was sent away. He was pretty sure that would complicate his life significantly.

“I-I mean, I can. Technically. It will get you out of his hospital, but what then? I don’t even know you, and I should claim you as a sub?” Tony asked aloud, his tone curious, and not all that judgemental.

“Yes!” Peter whined, still quivering with small little sobs. “Please. I promised I’d stay out of your way. Is—You’d be responsible for me then, right? I won’t be trouble, Sir, I’ll just go to school and do my work and stay quiet and—“ He sniffled.

“Do you promise that?” Tony asked, before he could think better of it. If anyone asked, he would blame it on his Dom instincts, and definitely not him feeling sorry for the sub. Peter pulled back in both surprise and hope, eyed wide and wet with tears. He nodded fiercely. 

“Yes, yes.” The sub swore. “I promise, I promise. Just—don’t send me away. I’ll be good.”

Tony sighed softly, placing both hands on Peter’s shoulders to hold the boy at arm’s length. He studied his face closely, looking into those doey brown eyes. To his surprise, he did not find an unruly sub who would fight every last bit of dominance thrown his way. Instead, Tony saw a frightened sub, one that desperately needed guidance. Perhaps Natasha was right. She probably was. 

“All right. I’ll sign for you.”

“Really?” Peter stared at him like he had grown two heads, because despite all of the begging he had done, he did not expect the doctor to relent. “I mean! Thank you. Oh my god, I can't—thank you, Sir.” He went in for another hug, still quivering. “And that means I won't have to go to an institution anymore, right? Am I—you're not gonna beat me if I speak out of turn? Can I still go to school? I don’t—" He stopped to take a deep breath, chest aching from the avalanche of question he had let go.

“Hey, hey, it’s all right. Just remember to breathe, bud.” 

Bud? Tony had just agreed to be Peter’s Dom and he was already being tender. Oh, he needed a drink. Or a dozen.

Peter nodded jerkily, inhaling sharply. He watched Tony uncertainly for a few moments as he signed the clipboard, then asked softly. 

“So you're my Dom now?”

“Yes.” 

“So, what does that like—actually mean? For us?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading!  
> What do you guys think :00 How will Tony handle Peter? And the other way around...?


End file.
